Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

I sday, November 15, 1960 Motion Picture Daily 3 Hon Sets 3-Film m\ with 20th-Fox Special to THE DAILY ksSISI, Italy, Nov. 12. (By Air Pil)_Triton Pictures Corp., eurFtly producing "Francis of Assisi" i location here, is about to wrap up 1 hree-picture deal with Twentieth ''itury-Fox. The arrangement in'jes the "Francis of Assisi" film, nton, in association with 20thK, is spending $2,800,000 on "Fran! of Assisi." The picture, in color i CinemaScope, stars Bradford Dilll Dolores Hart and Stuart Whit\a, with Michael Curtiz directing, 'artnered in Triton are Plato Skouwho is personally producing ancis"; Spyros Skouras Jr. of SkouTheatres and Charles Skouras, Jr. The company next year will make barney of the Jules Verne," a sci■e fiction story based on an idea of to Skouras. He does not plan to duce that one himself. He will, i'vever, produce the third property [California Street," based on a ben Bush novel which has won [at acclaim. producer Plato Skouras is irate mt those who level wholesale aerations against "runaway" probers. "I defy anyone to make a i about 'Francis of Assisi' in a ale other than Assisi and Umbria," said. "This setting is as much a 6 ft of the Francis story as the man ,.nself." The company expects to move down jRome in early December for oritur battle scenes and interiors at f Cinecitta Studios. et Fashion Show on rtilliver' Here Today Thirteen participating manufacturwill display a complete line of he 3 Worlds of Gulliver" merchanlie at a special fashion show breakIt held at the Statler Hilton Hotel Ire this morning. The breakfast is •jnsored by Columbia Pictures, lich will release the film, i Attending the show will be newsiper and syndicate fashion writers id fashion and motion picture trade sss representatives. Buyers from ijor merchandising groups intend look over the various lines. Part of e presentation will be seen on a ecial closed-circuit television hook REVIEW: The Virgin Spring Svensk Filmindustri — Janus Films There is no denying the power of Ingmar Bergman, the world-famed Swedish director, in using the motion picture camera to tell a stark and foreboding tale. All who saw "The Seventh Seal" and "The Magician" can testify to that. Now he has used his hypnotic talent with devastating skill once more in "The Virgin Spring." This film, which is based on a 13th-century legend and Swedish folk song called "The Daughter of Tore of Vange," tells a parable of good and evil. The young daughter of an isolated landowner in Sweden sets out on a long ride to church to light candles for the Holy Virgin. Along the way she is set upon by two herdsmen who first rape and then brutally murder her. When the father of the girl learns of the crime and gets hold of the two men and their 14-year-old brother he slaughters all three to wreak vengeance. In the concluding scene the father turns on God and demands to know how such evil things can be. Then suddenly penitent, he promises God to build a church of stone with his own hands on the spot where his daughter died. At that moment a trickle of water comes forth and bursts into a stream on the site. This is the "virgin spring." What does it all mean? Probably no more than it appears. It is a religious parable with a moral to the effect that mankind, including the innocent, must always suffer evil, and the righteous man can do no more than put his faith in God. On the other hand the Bergman cult, which will flock to see this picture with the same enthusiasm it takes to all his films, will doubtless find an excess of hidden meanings. The Bergman obsession with dreams, the occult, religion, good and evil, and the like is as evident here as before to help them in their search for clues. What everyone should be able to agree on, however, is the brilliance with which Bergman has made this film. His control of milieu and moods is masterful; he handles the light-hearted scene of the daughters departure on her journey with the same assurance and complete realization of effect that he brings to the sickening terror of the rape scene and the violent horror of the slaughter of the herdsmen. This latter episode, while notably brutal, is no more so than several of a like nature in some current Hollywood pictures. . . The acting, as in all Bergman films, is superb. As the young girl Birgitta Pettersson radiates with innocence and charm; Max von Sydow (who Played the "Magician") suggests great moral strength as her vindictive father; and Birgitta Valberg plays the mother with power and conviction The two herdsmen are evil incarnate in the persons of Axel Duberg and Tor Isedal and Ove Porath makes a pathetic figure as their frightened brother. Also exceptional is Gunnel Lindblom as a neurotic servant girl who witnesses the rape. , . Excellent subtitles translate the Swedish dialogue of this fascinating film. Running time, 88 minutes. Release, in November. & Richard Gertner B-PT Votes 2% Extra >ividencl in Stock The board of directors of American oadcasting-Paramount Theatres yesrday declared an extra dividend of j per cent of common stock in addi i)n to the regular fourth quarterly .sh dividend of 25 cents per share i the common and preferred stock. The regular quarterly cash dividend + payable Dec. 15 to holders of recd on Nov. 25, before giving effect the stock dividend, which is pay)le Dec. 28 to holders of record on ov. 25. No extra dividend was paid last . ;ar. Drive-In Damaged JACKSONVILLE, Nov. 14-Fire of undetermined origin destroyed the screen and framework of the Atlantic Drive-In Theatre here, causing a loss estimated at $18,000. Officials said no one was injured in the fire. Firemen were on the scene for two hours trying to quench the flames. ABC Gets Interest ABC Vending Corp. has acquired the remaining 50 per cent interest in Tri-State Automatic Candy Corporation to make the former affiliate a wholly owned subsidiary, Benjamin Sherman, chairman of the board, announced. Purchase price was not disclosed. Fire Razes Theatre NORTH WILKESBORO, N. C, Nov. 14.-The Allen Theatre in the heart of North Wilkesboro's downtown district, was destroyed by fire. There was no estimate available on the amount of the loss, but firemen said the blaze was one of the worst in North Wilkesboro in several years. Sell Hartford Theatre HARTFORD, Nov. 14-Connecticut's largest remaining combination motion picture-vaudeville theatre, the 3880-seat State, Hartford, has been purchased by the Hartford Redevelopment Agency, to serve as part of the multi-million dollar Windsor St. Redevelopment Project. PEOPLE William Yurasoo has taken over the buying and booking for Comerford Theatres in Eastern Pennsylvania, succeeding Byron Lynn, who will handle the upstate New York theatres for the circuit. □ Mrs. Heleena Kopper has been named acting manager of the firstrun Warner Theatre, Torrington, Conn., succeeding Leonard Kupstas, who has left the Stanley Warner circuit to become manager of the State Theatre, Jewett City, Conn., operated by Perakos Theatre Associates. Jack Hoddy, who had managed the latter house, has left the Perakos organization. □ Paul L. Wall, who joined MGM in 1935 and whose most recent post was on the New York City sales staff, has taken over his new duties as manager of the company's branch in Buffalo, succeeding Jack Mundstuk, who has been promoted to management of the company's branch in Washington, D. C. Mundstuk, leaving Buffalo, was given a farewell dinner at the Statler Hilton Hotel there. □ Mildred Martin, motion picture editor and commentator for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has announced her resignation, effective next January. She will live in Manchester, England and devote her time to finishing a musical comedy with her husband, Herbert Dunkerle, British composer. Sher Circuit Grows to 16 with New Acquisition Special to THE DAILY COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 14.-The College Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., is the sixteenth theatre to be acquired by the Art Theatre Guild, it was announced by Louis Sher, Columbus, president of the theatre circuit. Richard Packer, a former Columbus resident, has been named manager of the Phoenix house. Sher said he is now serving Pacific Coast cities with a view to future expansion. The Art Theatre Guild operates the Bexley and World in Columbus and theatres in Cleveland, Champaign, 111.; Toledo, Louisville, Memphis, Yellow Springs, Akron, Dayton, Denver, Kansas City and Detroit. Two Openings Set PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 14-Two new links in the independent Claude Schlanger chain of theatres in this area have been completed. The Super 130 Drive-In at Edgewater Township, N. J., was opened this week, while a Christmas holiday opening is scheduled for the new indoor Fox at Levittown, N. J.